August 4/01 9:55 am - Tour de `Toona: Stage 4 Women

Posted by Editoress on 08/4/01

Tour de 'Toona - Stage 4Courtesy Team RONA

Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA) took full control of the Tour de 'Toona today during a stage that proved to be the moment of truth in this hotly contested event in central Pennsylvania, a 160-km stage featuring three major climbs.

Lyne Bessette did not start today due to the the fall she suffered yesterday.

Summary of the stage

Today's stage followed a long loop around Altoona, winding through a number of suburbs and taking the pack up towards several summits in the Allegheny Mountains. The first 80 kilometers or so of the race were relatively flat. The team RONA strategy was to control the pack until the first difficult hill. Unfortunately, Geneviève Jeanson experienced some problems with her chain in the first few kilometers. The chain came off and refused to re-engage on the plateau. She had to wait until the neutral technical car arrived for help and lost contact with the pack as a result of the delay. Teammate Meshy Holt stopped to help Jeanson make her way back to the pack.

Manon Jutras (CAN), Meshy Holt (NZL) and Gabriela Gonzalez de Ferrat (MEX) were then able to give their leader the support she needed to pace the pack up to the time they gathered at the base of Blue Knob Hill, the first major climb of the day. A mere six kilometers later, Jeanson had created a gap of 2:30 between herself and her nearest chasers, Amber Neben and Pia Sunstedt. Forty-five seconds behind them was a nine-member chasing group that included Jessica Phillips and yellow jerseyed Anke Erlank.

Geneviève Jeanson continued to increase her lead and by the time she reached the second summit of the day, she was a good four minutes ahead of the next best, with only 50 kilometers left to go. The two closest pursuers were joined by the nine others just behind them and all meshed together in a well-oiled pack with Sunstedt, Phillips, Neben and Erlank heading up the attack. Pia Sunstedt and Roz Reekie May (NZL, UPMC Pittsburgh) left the group behind as they headed up the third climb of the day. With more energy in reserve than Jeanson, who had been in a sole breakaway for more than 60 kilometers, the two managed to progressively cut Jeanson's lead as the race wore on. Sunstedt crossed the finish line just 2'00" behind Jeanson, with Reekie May following on her heels 17 seconds later. It took nearly four minutes more for the other nine contenders to make it to the finish line and a further nine minutes after that before other racers started to arrive, almost 15 minutes after Jeanson had clocked in.

Visibly pleased with the performance she gave on the longest course of her young career, Geneviève Jeanson gave unrestrained praise to her teammates. "They had total control of the pack up to the first climb. From then on I did my job, which was to win the stage. The first climb was really difficult. The second climb was also a real challenge because it was gravel. I did start to feel fatigue at one point but I got my legs back near the end," said the new Tour de 'Toona leader.

TomorrowTomorrow's race will be a criterium through the streets of downtown d'Altoona. It's guaranted to be a great competition since sprinters can pocket an extra 38 bonus seconds.